Tie-bar for railroad-switches



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-T1B ,BAR FOR RAILROAD SWITCHES. N0. 397,090. Patented Jan. 29, 1889.

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NTTED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

\VIIJLIA M J. MOI-EDEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TIE-BAR FOR RAILROAD-SWITCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of ,Letters Patent No. 397,090, dated January 29, 1889.

Application filed August 1, 1888. Serial No. 281,650. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that 1, WILLIAM J. MoRDEN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tie-Bars for Railroad-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

, My invention relates more particularly to a tie bar used in connection with. split switches, and its object is to provide a tiebar which will be adequate to tie the rails and so connected to the rails as to be uninjured by an accidental passage of the railflange between the movable and the fixed rail, and whereby, also, injury to the point-rail ot the switch is avoided.

I11 carrying out my invention I employ a hanger, which is secured to the movable rails and to which the tie-bar is hinged or pivotally connected, so that, should the rails be forced out of position by the wheels passing through when the switch is improperly set, the rails may rock on their pivotal axis, thereby avoiding any danger of breaking their points and the bending of the tie-bar. I prefer to employ a fiat bar and to twist it toward its ends, so as to utilize the maximum strength of the metal and provide for its convenient I attachment to the hangers.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows my improved tiebar applied to the movable rails of a switch, the bar and hangcrs being shown in side elevation and the rails in cross-section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a section of a rail, showing'the hanger and the bar applied thereto, the former in end elevation and the latter in cross-section; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of a section of track and split switch with my tie-bar applied to the movable rails or switch-points.

In said drawings, and referring to Figs. and 2, A represents the rails. The hangers B are adapted, by means of the bolttlangcs l), to be secured rigidly to the web of the rail tracks, as shown in Fig. 3. In order to secure the maximum strength of the bar and also a convenient method of attaching it to the rails, I prefer to twist its ends one-quarter way around, as at c c, and to enter the ends of the bar edgewise between the lugs I) b of the hanger, and to secure the bar pivotally to said hanger by means of transverse bolts 0 c. From this it results that the ends of the tiebar are disposed edgewise with reference to the rails, while the intermediate portion of the bar between the points 0 c is flatwise with refereuce'to said rails. The ears b of the hangers will be of such length as, when the tie-bars are secured therein, to bring said bars tightly up against. the bottom of the rail.

It is apparent that with the above-described construction and arrangement of parts the rails and tie-bars are pivotally connected or hinged together so that the rails may rock on their pivotal axis. Supposing a train on the rails a l, Fig. 3, to be passing the switch in a direction from the heel to the points of the switch-rails and the switch to be set as shown in said figure, it is evident that the flanges of the wheel will force the rail 5 away from the rail 4, and if the connection between the rail 5 and tie-bar were rigid it would result in buckling the tie-bar or in the breaking of the tie-bar or switch-point, or both; but with my improved construction rail 5 will simply rock on the bolt 0 and permit the flange to pass through without injury, and thereby many accidents, much. delay, and large expense may be avoided.

I claim 1. The combination, in a split switch, with the movable rails, of hangers rigidly secured to said rails and a tie-bar pivotally connecting said hangers, whereby to permit the movable rails to rock upon a horizontal axis, suband in their normal position to rest upon the ends turned at right angles to its body porfoot of the rail. Each of the hangers has apair of downwardly-projecting lugs or ears, b b, which extend below the bottom of the stantially as and for the purpose setforth.

2. In a split switch, the combination, with the movable rails A A, of the hangers B B, rigidly secured thereto, and a tie-bar having its tion and pivotally connected, respectively, to said hangers, whereby to permit said rails to rock on a horizontal axis, substantially as described.

WILLIAM J. MOIQDEN. lVitnesses:

O. O. LINTHICUM, T. D. BUTLER, 

